Improved gas apparatus



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

wILLrAMrOsTER, JR., AND GEORGE r. GANsTER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

`IMPROVED GAsAPPARATUs Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,556, dated March 9,1869.

To all whom it may concern: r

Be it known that we, WILLIAM FOSTER, Jr., and GEORGE P. GANsTER, both of the city andcounty of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iii-Gas Apparatus,`by which term we mean mechanism or apparatus for producing combustible mixtures of vapor and air.

Many devices for the purpose have been before proposed and constructed. Several are described in patentsissued to us.

Our present invention is` intended to promote the convenience of the attendant, the uniformity of the production of the gas, the facility for disposing ofthe unevaporated liquid, and especially thesafety of the apparatus.

This sort of apparatus, as heretofore constructed, has been liable to diffuse a combus' tible vapor when heated-as, for example, when the building takes fire-Land thusto increase the intensity of the couflagration. Our present apparatus provides against this contingency.

The following is a full and exact description 1 of our apparatus.

We will first describe what we consider the best means of carrying out the invention, and will afterward designate the points which we believe to be new therein.

The accompanying `drawin gs form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus, partly in section, with a view to represent very clearly the internal construction as seen from the side. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line S S in Fig. l, and Fig. Sis' a cross-section on the line T T in Figl.` Y Similar letters of referenceindicatelike parts in all the figures. l

A cylindrical casing contains water and a revolving blower, operatin g in the ordinary manner to draw the air and drive it through the evaporating chamber or chambers by the aid of a weight (not represented) pulling upon a cord wound upon a windlassat the end ofthe shaft. `This is" surmounted by a dome containing water, in which is supported an 1nverted oating cup.V 'Thereare also the ordi- The apparatus is strongly and compactly' made, and supported on legs, as represented.

The evaporating-chamber is in the form of Va capacious box, placed directly below the `blowingcylinder. It is formed with three iioors, and gasoline is received in the upper chamber, caused to traverse longitudinally, then dropped into the vnext chamber and :caused to traverse back, after which it is dropped into the lowermost chamber. Each of these chambers is lled withsponge, to better present the iiuid to the air, and to prevent or modify the distribution of the inilammable fluid in case of an accident, as in case of a collision of railroad-cars, in which our apparatus may be used.

Referring to the drawings, A is the cylindrical blowing -chamber, and A1 the dome thereon. B is the blowing-wheel, and B1 the windlass .on which the cord b"is wound and unwound. The air is received through an ordinary provision around the shaft, and is eX- pelled, at the top of the case A, through apassage, a., which leads down, as represented, to the lowermost of the evaporating-chambers, into which it is introduced through a number of small holes, as represented.

The evaporating-chambers are marked l 2 3. In the lowermost chamber, 3, the air is presented to the least volatile portions of the gasoline. It circulates over and through the sponge in this chamber', and rises, through a series of openings represented, into the cham ber 2 above. Here it circulates over and through the sponge the whole length of the chamber, and rises, through perforations, (which, like the others, are properly guarded against clogging by small plates held at a1ittle distance above and below, as represented,) into the upper chamber, 1. Here it is presented to the gasoline in its freshest and most volatile condition. It circulates over and through the sponge in this chamber, and escapes through the perforations in the side near the point where the fresh gasoline is received. These perforations are represented by d, and communicate with a pipe, D, which leads up and is provided with means for connecting to the pipes extending throughout the house, manufactory, or other place which is to be lighted, and by the aid of which it is distributed and consumed in the ordinarymanner.

The evaporation in the chamber lis usually confined solely to the more volatile parts or particles. The evaporation in the chamber 2 is more general. The evaporation in the chamber 3 removes the most volatile parts entirely and a great portion of the denser or less volatile particles. There are liable to remain, however, certain particles which are not evaporated, which, in time, accumulate in the sponge, and which it is desirable to remove.

We have provided peculiar means for expressing the unevaporated liquid from the sponge in this last remaining chamber, and which, it will be observed, do not aifect the sponge in the other chambers.

lWe iind, by practice, that it is not necessary ever to press the sponge in the other chambers, and we prefer to let it remain quiet under all conditions.

El E2 are end pieces, which, by being moved together, press the lower sponge very effectually. They are tapped to receive right and left hand screw-threads cut upon a shaft, F, which traverses the lower chamber, l, and which, passing out through a stufhng-box, as represented, may be turned by a suitable wrench or key applied outside.

At intervals of a few weeks, more or less, the attendant applies a key to the head of the shaft F, and, turning it continuously in one direction, gradually draws the end pieces El E2 together. The liquid thus expressed from the sponge escapes through a drain-pipe, G. After allowing the sponge to remain compressed a few minutes the shaft F is turned in the reverse direction until the end pieces El Ezare restored to the positions represented.

It will be understood that the end pieces E1 E2 are rectangular in outline, and ll, or early fill, the whole cross-section of the cham- The arrangement for drainage is peculiar, and is left always open, so that unevaporated liquid cannot accumulate and entirely clog the apparatus under any conditions.

Ve provide a small pit, A3, which may be simply a depression in the bottom of the lowermost chamber, 3. The inner end of the drainpipe G is bent down, so as to extend nearly to the bottom of this pit A3.

When the apparatus is working, the pit A3 is always full of unevaporated liquid. When the liquid accumulates so as to rise a little above the bottom of the chamber 3, it begins to run out through the pipe G, which is connected, by ordinary connections, to a pipe leading out-doors to a suitable pit, or into a sewer or drain.

When the sponge in the lower chamber is bein g compressed, the iiow through the pipe G is active. ows but very little.

We provide a cock, g, which may control the flow at will. By making a little vent in the cock g we can guard against the possibility of the pipe G ever acting as a siphon, entirely emptying the pit A3.

Many efforts have been made by ourselves and others to provide perfectly practicable and reliable means of supplying the iiuid in proper quantities under all conditions.

Some of the means, otherwise unobjeetionable, are defective, in being incapable of adjustment to adapt the apparatus to working at different temperatures.

The ordinary gasoline of commerce may be all evaporated in summer; but it is difficult to evaporate the whole in the winter season, and the proportion of the liquid to the air introduced should therefore be greater in the winter than in the summer. We have be stowed much labor and experiment upon this point.

We provide a small chamber, A4, in the end of the box A2, or, in other words, opposite to the ends of the evaporating-chambers l 2 3. We lead the gasoline into this chamber through a pipe, H, which is connected to a reservoir above, which :may be either in the building or exterior thereto. We regulate the iiow of gasoline into this chamber A4 by means of a cock, h., and a floating ball, h. This is a wellknown device for regulating the flow of water into tanks. We have made it a part of our apparatus, and by combining with it the parts now to be described have made what we believe to be a perfectly successful and adjustable mode of introducing the liquid in proper quantities.

I is a wheel, mounted ona shaft, i, which extends out through a stuffing-box, and is turned by a belt, J, from the blowingwheel above by means of .a series ofmatched pulleys, as represented, so that it may be turned faster or slower, at pleasure. The periphery of the wheel I carries vessels I, which are provided with holes il in the sides and with holes 2 at their ends. The holes 't2 lead the fluid out through short pipes i3, (shown plainly in Fig. 2,) and these pipes, by the revolution of the wheel I, are brought in succession over a receiving-spout, L, which communi cates with the upper evaporating-chamber, l. The shaft v3, and consequently the wheel I, rotate very slowly. Each of the vessels I receives the gasoline through the holes il, and as it emerges, by the rotation of the wheel, empties itself, so far as the holes l in each allow, andretains the remainder. The continued motion of the wheel I changes the position of the gasoline in the vessel I', and discharges it through the hole i2, and consequently through the connected short pipe i3, while the latter is over the receiving-spout Ii. It follows that the receiving-spout L, and consequently the Under ordinary conditions it Y evaporating-chambers l 2 3, receive a mathematically-adjusted quantity ofthe gasoline at each revolution or partial revolution of the wheel I, and that, the latter having a definite and adjustable relation to the rotation of the blowing apparatus above, the quantity is determined with accuracy, easily adjustable for variations of temperature, or of the quality of the gasoline or other uid, and may be depended on to maintain that exact relation, and consequently to supplyexactly that quantity of gasoline for each cubic foot or other unit of air.

One of the most important features of our improvement remains to be described.

Our apparatus works successfully under all 4ordinary variations of temperature; but it is liable, like all apparatus of this kind, to generate a highpressure of vapor when artiiicial heat is applied. This fact is of alarming importance in case of fire.

When an apparatus for vaporizing gasoline or analogous iluids becomes highly heated it is liable to form a vapor of a high pressure analogous in its mechanical force to the steam in a 'steam-boiler, but of considerably higher pressure under any given temperature, by reason of the greater volatility of the material.

Now, when any extraordinary pressure is generated in ourevaporating-ohambers .12 3

it induces abackward motion of the air through the passage a, which now becomes filled with the'combustible vapor of gasoline.v It lls the upper part of the casing A and the inverted cup in the domewith the same vapor, or with a mixture of this vapor and air, and by ini creasing the pressure on` the surface of the water under the inverted cup it causes it t0 sink until the combustible gas rises through the bottom of the inverted cup, and, filling the top of the dome A1, is ready to issue through any orifice and diffuse itself through the building.

Instances have occurred where lires, other- -wise easily subdued, have been greatly intenthese Letters Patent is as follows;

building, as represented in Fig. 3. This pipe should be of sufficient capacity to discharge all the vapor or mixture which maybe received into the dome Al from the backl action of the apparatus here described, and by its means the destructive elements will be discharged harmlessly and mingled with the open air, instead of being allowed to accumulate within the building.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by l. We claim forming a tight connection between the interior of the dome A1 and the external atmosphere, so as to safely discharge the gaseous contents of the dome in case of a backward motion of vapor through the apparatus, as herein set forth.

2. We claim the drain-pipe G and pit A3, arranged relatively to each other and to the evaporating chambers and their appurtenances, so as to allow of a constant drainage of the unevaporated liquid, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. We claimtlle squeezersElE2 and the right and left handed screw F, arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. We claim, in gas apparatus, the measuring-wheel I I', turning in a chamber, A4, kept lled to a uniform level, and supplying the gasoline or its equivalent to the evaporating-chambers, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

5. We claim the within-described provision for varying the proportions of the liquid relatively to the air passed into the vaporizingchambers by mounting the mechanism on independent shafts t' and b with a changeable communication of motion, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof' we have hereunto set our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` WM. EosrEE, JR.

GEO. r. GANsTEE.

Witnesses:

GEO. LEWIS, Jr., EDwD. RowE. 

